A Life Unraveled
by sutyinabox
Summary: Harry wasn't told everything about his parents when they were his age.
1. Chapter One

Summary: Throughout his teenage years, Harry was not told everything about his mother and father.

Disclaimer: Even if I did own something, would you even believe me?

Authors Note: This is going somewhere, I promise.

The world had become a daze, one that could not be defined. A whirlwind of voices that sounded distant and on some kind of ramble, though they were right next to him. Other noises, perhaps he was in class at the moment, but it failed to register as something of a concern to him at the moment.

It wasn't very clear.

" James!" the sound of his own name jolted him out of whatever trance he had been in, though it was likely because it sounded as though it was not the first time that angry voice tried to get his attention using his name.

His eyes opened, though the blurs of color and light before him matched the ones that were just in his mind only moments ago. However, once his glasses returned to the bridge of his nose, at least one aspect became clear.

Recognizing his surroundings as the potions classroom without looking, same with the deathly glare of Lily Evans, only inches in front of him with a look that could have straightened even his hair.

" So nice of you to join us" she muttered, her disgruntled tone dripping with sarcasm. Her gaze returned to the cauldron in between them. Other partnered students around the classroom were doing the same as Professor Slughorn walked about, delivering his over exaggerated compliments to...well, anyone.

James blinked a few times, attempting to read the book pinned under his elbows. Lily watched and groaned in disgust as she emptied a small vile into the cauldron. He was use to it, everything he did bothered her. Even when he did nothing at all, like now. Though usually it was something that did require such an opinion.

" Do you think you could trouble yourself as to hand me the beetle eggs?"

Just then, a piece of rolled up parchment paper landed with a soft thud in his hair before dropping into his lap. He looked over in the direction of its departure, to see Sirius, his best friend, laughing silently at his expense. He, too, was ignoring Severus, his partner, just as James was with LIly (though likely for reasons that were not as sour). Slughorn was no fool, their threesome (sometimes foursome) had been separated weeks ago- in every class. It was out of fear that the entire castle would come crashing down before they would even finish breakfast.

Carefully, he unfolded the paper, and as he pulled away the last bend, the room filled with the wall shaking sound of traditional wedding bells from a church that mind as well have been in the next classroom with that echo. James quickly re-crumpled the sheet, silencing the noise that had all widened eyes in the room on him. He chucked the ball back to Sirius, whi had nearly fallen over in his own hysterics.

" James!" she yelled again, only this time he was certain she had a reason to be vicious with him.

He turned to face her, and quickly to begin his awkward rambling of an excuse and an apology combined in a mangled mess that would both not make sense and do nothing to help. Instead, his elbow bumped the cauldron, spilling some of the contents onto Lily's hand. He was never aware with what they had been brewing, but it was something that had her wailing in pain.

" Lily! Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry!" he stood with her, leaning over the table, but she shielded her injured hand from him. Before James could even remove his wand to do something unknown to him, Slughorn had intervened.

" Oh, not to worry, I would never have you kids brew anything that would leave one another with permanent marks" he cheerfully chimed, " Potter, why don't you escort Miss Evans to the hospital wing?"

James would have gladly obliged, and attempted to, but Lily brushed past both of them too quickly. " I can go myself" she muttered through pain.

After she left the room, all eyes were on him for the second time in under ten minutes- which was perhaps a new record. James could not help but meet the eyes of his classmates, including Sirius, who snorted out loud when no longer being able to contain himself.


	2. Chapter Two

A Life Unraveled: Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I still own nothing.

Authors Note: Still a little slow, but its brewing!

At dinner that night, James peered around the Great Hall for a particular red head to appear, though he had no idea what he would do should she actually show up. His friends went around their usual business, casting spells and charms at any unsuspecting victim at the Slytherin table. This was typically his perfect way to top off a day of magical misfit, but the events of earlier left his stomach in a not. Furthermore, Lily never showed up that evening.

When returning to the Gryffindor house, Sirius and Peter pretended to be running from Remus while yelling ' full moon, full moon!' The prank, which had been used many times before with the same results each time, had James stand out- as he slowly made his way through the halls while others ran past him in hysterics.

He followed behind the laughing bunch as they entered the common room, almost heading to their dormitory room with them. The lame from the fireplace, however, caught the dark amber hair of Lily Evans, curled up on the couch, stopping James like a stone statue that she could control.

She had her head turned the other way, probably hearing their grand entrance. As he took a step closer, he saw the bandage on her hand, as she scribbled away with her quill.

" Hi, Lily" he was cautious, gently seating himself on the edge of the couch cushion next to her. The only response from her was a rougher, faster scribbling. " Erm, I wanted to apologize for earlier. I was distracted, I certainly didn't mean to..."

" Just stop" she said without budging, " I don't fancy your lies anymore than the scar on my hand."

James twitched his nose enough to have his glasses slip a bit, " lies? No, Lily, I would never want to hurt you."

Her entire body whipped around to face him, " not that! You and your friends" there was a pause before ' friends' in a failed attempt to say a more vile term, " you don't take anything at this school seriously, and if that was not enough, you have to get in the way of those who want to do something with their lives!" she gathered her quill and book, standing up in rather of a huff, " going to end up dead, all four of you" she muttered before storming off.

James went after her, not sure what he would do- get shot down with another apology, or defend himself and his friends against her remarks. Either way, neither was going to happen. Just as he could have grabbed the back of her robes, Severus Snape stepped in, knocking his arm clear out of the way.

" Don't you belong somewhere else, Snape?" James snarled, " somewhere more dark and gloomy?" He was not fond of any Slytherins as it was, let alone one who was in the common room. He held nothing against Lily except that her exceptional grades allowed for him to be there, for the mere, and stomach wrenching, fact that he was her boyfriend.

" There's not even the slightest vermin like you in our own house" he said, possibly glowing a smile on his baron lips, beneath the outline of his greasy hair.

James jerked his arm to his side, " I find that hard to believe. Nevertheless, I was thinking somewhere more along the lines of Azkaban prison" and he went to join his friends in their dorm room.

That night, something inside him kept him from succumbing to sleep. Though the snoring of Sirius in the neighboring bed, or the kicking and whimpering of Remus in the other. Usually, in some sort of demented fashion, those would lull him into a deep sleep.

Not tonight. He could not determine what it was about the earlier events with Lily Evans that left him so mangled. Surely, Madam Promfrey would set her right- he knew from far too much personal experience. Perhaps it was her ill outlook with him, when really he was just harmless, if even a bit mental on the side.

With the cold stones under his barefeet, he traveled down to the common room in the dead of night. A fire was still roaring...and the same read haired girl sat in the same spot of the same couch. However, she must have returned from earlier, as she was now in her pajamas, and without a boyfriend.

Knowing he was likely to be turned inside out yet again, he knew this time no one would intervene. However, before her name could even leave his mind, James fell to the floor. The pain in his head from earlier in the day rendering him unconscious.


	3. Chapter Three

Authors Note: It's picking up a bit...and I still own nothing.

For a moment, Lily assumed it was yet another stunt from the infamous group, and continued reading. Only when she glanced over her shoulder, to see him convulsing on the floor, did she panic. By the time she jumped over the back of the couch, he was screaming aloud, though he was clearly unconscious.

" James!" she yelled his name over and over, attempting to drown out his screams, his rambling of words that made no sense when strung together, or even in separate.

His body began twitching around, similar to a fish out of water. She yanked at his shirt collar, slapped his cheeks, and multiple other tactics in an attempt to wake him. None, however, were successful.

She looked towards the balcony of the boys dormitories, as though calling towards some kind of higher, spiritual power. Instead, it was Sirius Black. And he appeared only after her second call for him, rubbing his eyes, black hair in all directions.

He grumbled in protest to being woken, and in the common room with his mismatched pajamas on. Though he was hit with a sudden burst of energy after seeing the two on the floor below him.

" Blimey!" he yelled, running down the spiral stairs, landing on his knees across from Lily over James' twitching body. " Prongs!" he screamed, as though a different name- which was unknown to Lily would suddenly stop the mysterious trance. He pushed his glasses, pulling back one of his eyelids. " Bloody hell! Moony!" he yelled, again with unfamiliar terms, " bananas, Moony, bananas!"

Watching James yell out and arch his back, all while in an unconscious state, left Lily in a panic, as she could not think of any logical antidote that would help him.

But, someone did.

Fast enough that his robe flew in a perfect horizontal line behind him, Remus Lupin came racing towards them, the yellow fruit clutched in his hand.

" Okay, okay" he breathed, as though in a rushed- but familiar-routine. He kneeled at James' head, peeling the skin of the banana. After breaking off a piece, he gently pushed it past the mouth of the screaming student.

Before Remus could even remove his fingers, James had relaxed with ease to the stone floor, motionless. His breath ragged from his rapid movements, his eyelids fluttering open.

Remus helped him slowly sit up as he began choking on the contents in his mouth, though he managed to work his way to swallowing, rearranging his glasses to his nose.

" Thats it mate, you're alright" Sirius said calmly, rubbing his shoulder, " you're alright."

" We're getting better at this" Remus smirked, following a sign of relief, " though we should come up with a plan in case he ever swallows his tongue."

" I reckon you're right."

James, who had just rid himself of his midnight snack, glanced over at Lily. While relieved that he was now temporarily alright, she was mildly confused as to what she had just witnessed. And, she was the only one by the looks of it.

" Not to be forward, but, what the hell just happened!" she yelped, " could one of you please explain?!"

Both Sirius and Remus rose up to their knees, were they towered over a recovering James and a rather quizzical Lily. " No, we wont" Sirius said, rather coldly, despite Remus looking like he wanted to object, but held his tongue.

" You don't give him the light of day" the dark haired friend continued, " now, you can stay in the dark."

The two left the room without another word that could have shattered the ice cold feeling they had left behind. Their speechless friend was dragged along with them.

Lily slept without ease for the remainder of the night. She had seen James, his body withering without his acknowledgement, without his control. Speaking a language, if it really was one, she could not understand, nor attempt to identify. And, not a single word of explanation, not a word of meaning. But, at least two people knew what was going on, three including James himself.

During breakfast the following morning, Lily searched for James in the Great Hall, just as he had done the night before. He never showed. In fact, none of the four did. Same in all the classes they shared throughout the day. Her plan had been to try and interrogating James in Transfiguration, the only she class she shared with him that none of their friends happened to be in.

However, it was a plan that was not given the chance to succeed.

She skipped dinner for the second night in a row. Throughout the day, there were no screams or roars of laughter in the halls, as the four had remained hidden. Only something so serious would keep them at bay for such a long period of time. And if she could not speak with James personally, she would resort to her second, and what was usually her first, source- the library.

Certain enough, there would not be any resources on James Potter, she could have another place to start. The language he was speaking, she knew it could not have just been noise. The wet hissing, the sharp gasps. He was certainly saying something, though any receiver of such a message the night before could not decode it. At least, she assumed.

She was nose deep in a ratted linguistics book when she heard disturbance in a neighboring aisle. The entire school was to be at dinner, thus her surprise when seeing another student hidden in the corner by the tall window, reading by a very dim light on the end of his wand.

It was something to be ignored at first, until a second look made her realize that under the stiff hood was the unkept hair of-

" James" she said quietly, though still enough for both to hear, as they were the only ones there.

He jumped like a caught criminal, attempting to make an escape, Lily, however, blocked him against the book case, holding him in place despite a significant size difference.

" No, thanks...I'm not hungry" he suttered in response to her question, while still trying to break away.

Lily snatched the cloth covering his elbows, looking into his dark eyes, which were overshadowed by the horrible lighting. " James, I just asked you if you wanted to get some desert."

" I know, and I said..."

" I asked you in parseltongue" she said in a stern tone, tightening her grip, " and you understood me" his struggling immediately ceased, " you can talk to snakes, can't you?"


	4. Chapter Four

A Note from the Author: Sorry for the delay (not like that many people read it) my brother was married this past week, which was mass chaos.

James looked deep into Lily's eyes- his brown fusing with her green with worry and anger- a look which left no need for words to be used.

Nevertheless, he made an attempt.

However, the attempt was ruined when Snape, dressed as dark as the air he appeared from, was suddenly standing just next to him.

" Lily, darling" as kind as his expression was for his girlfriend, it was just as sour for his current company, if he was even noticed, " you weren't at the Great Hall for desert, I was getting worried" he paused, wanting her as far away from him as possible, " we should probably get to the study group."

B that point, James was doing all he could to avoid eye contact with either of them- even though Severus was already ignoring him.

Lily watched him closely, much to the disapproval of her boyfriend. He was shaking, maybe it was something only she could see. He was also very pale. She had hit a weak spot, unmarked territory, and they both knew it. To no longer dig at him would set her back a few steps, but still at a point where he would not be able to brush past this.

She had James Potter just where she wanted him.

Nodding to Severus, she began following him out of the library, and James remained perfectly still until he heard the footsteps grow fainter and fainter. He took several deep breaths, ridding himself of the fear that lingered over him, then exited the library himself.

James barely made it to his dormitory before collapsing at the foot of his bed. He began hyperventilating, pulling off his cloak as his body temperature rose to a heavy, itching and uncomfortable level. He thought he had been alone in the room, failing to actually check. He nearly jumped out of his skin when Remus placed a hand upon his friends shoulder.

" Moony" he breathed, " you scared me."

" Yes, well imagine my shock when you come stumbling in here dying."

James clutched the wooden frame of his bed, breath still ragged, " saw Lily...in the library."

Remus had climbed onto his own bed, their specially designed map spread out on his blanket, which he was using to see exactly who Sirius had been snogging with lately, when he claimed to be doing extra work for Professor McGonagall.

" Well, after last night, she's probably a little suspicious."

James managed to roll himself onto his bed as breathing managed to return to normal, " and I think she's catching on."

" What'd you tell her, then?"

" Er...that I wasn't hungry."

Remus snorted, his eyes remaining on the map, " yeah mate, she's almost got you figured out."

James sat up, " well, she asked me in parseltongue, and I imagine she kind of got a clue when I answered her."

Moonys wand, along with his jaw, slowly descended. Though, for the sake of his friend, he quickly tried to redeem himself. " Well, er, I'm sure you two...or three, are just a few of those who happen to know it" he glanced down then back up, " right?" as though he needed James to help him convince himself.

Prongs sighed, " I somehow doubt that, I dont think she actually knows it, I think she just learned a phrase to see if I knew it" he laid back down and signed, " and if she did that, she must have her reasons to suspect it..."

Remus, more absorbed than the less-than-important map, scratched behind his ears, " that's what happens when you attract the smart ones. I suggest you take a few lessons from Sirius. He's a bloody womanizer, but he can't attract any girl who doesn't have the brains of a comatose Slytherin" he paused, " and by the looks of it, he's taking on a Slytherin right now. Damn, the boy simply has no boundaries."

James rolled onto his side, watching as the blue tinted sky slowly turned darker. He, without really noticing, drifted off to sleep in his school clothing, listening to Remus howl and laugh at the dots on the parchment.

It was late, very late. Past the point where even professors were no longer searching the halls for students breaking such a curfew. Even Sirius had fallen asleep, hours after his gallivanting. And because of the deep sleep of him and Remus, they failed to notice their roommate stumble out of the doorway.

Though he wasn't actually awake, James traveled down to the common room, then up the steps to the girls dormitory- however, the stairs managed to remain in tact, despite the fact that he shouldn't have been there.

The large wooden door creaked as he slowly pushed it open, but not enough to wake any of the sleeping girls inside. He made his way across the cold stone, standing at the side of her bed. She never stirred, never knew he was there. That was, until he straddled her sleeping body, and wrapped his hands around Lily's throat.


	5. Chapter Five

Authors Note: Thanks for the support, peeps! For the record, this chapter was written while watching 17 Again with my roommate. I'm not sure if it's actually important or even relevant, just sharing.

Chapter Five

Lilys eyes shot open as his hands enclosed around her neck. Her fingernails scraped at the skin of his arms, as her body suffered without oxygen. His eyes remained calmly on hers, she stared directly into them. But, he wasn't making eye contact, his eyes were lifeless and cold; there wasn't anyone looking back at her.

There was, however, still strong hands around her delicate neck. Someone, or something, was quickly forcing the life out of her body. She continued scratching and clawing, her legs useless with his weight on them.

Her head slowly began to spin.

Her mouth opened, but no sound emerged. Her body weakened, her mind went limp. Just as her eyes rolled away, his weight was suddenly removed. She gasped for air, choking even, leaning over the bed to see Remus, Sirius, and her boyfriend struggling with James on the floor. Along with her roommates, who were now awake, the shouting from numerous sources was impossible to pick apart.

Remus and Sirius were fighting more with Severus, strictly to keep him away from their friend, who he was trying so hard to attack.

" Leave him alone!" Sirius yelled, shoving Snape onto his bottom and moving in front of James, " he didn't know what he was doing!"

Lily could not quite figure out exactly how even Sirius knew what was happening, let alone if James himself knew.

" Oh, right!" Severus bellowed, " stuff like that just tends to slip by people!"

As her roommates escaped the tension, likely to get help from others before things were to get uglier, Lily watched James for a quick moment. He was the center of attention, but managed to be at the bottom of of the body pile. He seemed shaken, scared, and oddly enough, like he had just joined in on the commotion. Like he was suddenly back in his own body, and had no idea that he had just nearly killed Lily.

He felt her eyes on him, glancing from the yelling and shoving, his expression growing even fouler.

" Lily...I...I'm..." he attempted.

Though he was horribly interrupted by Snape, who had grabbed a decent handful of his messy hair, pulling him to his knees, then dragging him to the corridor. The others rushed after them.

They piled out to see Severus holding James over the banister by the collar of his cloak, which overlooked the common room full of students, in addition to Professor McGonagall and Headmaster Dumbledore. But all anyone could do, was watch.

" You do NOT speak to her!" he spat, his pointy nose grazing James' terrified face, " I told you to stay away from her, and I find you getting into her knickers faster than into detention!"

Lilys jaw dropped slightly, Remus and Sirius having a similar reaction at the gross miscommunication, which added a dash of humor to such a dark situation. Severus thought James and Lily were in a more of a romantic situation, rather than one of harm.

She pushed forward, clutching the shoulder of her angry boyfriend as he inched James closer over the banisters edge.

" Severus, wait, you don't understand..."

She was not exactly sure as to how she thought of informing him that he was attempted murder, not love making, as well as how that was suppose to be the better of the two. But, she assumed there was a method to the madness that both she, and James, were currently unaware of.

Nevertheless, such a chance to explain never came. The moment he felt her hand, he whipped in her directions, using a hand that was one holding James to push hers away.

" Don't you touch me" he growled, " you filthy mudblood."

A cloud of gasps from the entire room led to utter silence. There were no longer gazes of terror over James, who was now standing on his own feet again, but in fact the one who said such a degrading comment- and the girl he said it to.

Lily clutched the front of her night gown in agony, her insides mangled by being called such a name, a name she had always been told to never speak of. To add salt to her wound, it was said by someone who was suppose to love her.

She couldn't stand still, couldn't handle his presence so close to her, looking at her, just as everyone else was. As she ran down the steps, through the common room, and out the portrait hole, no one dared to stop her.

The dim candles in the halls lit her way. She ran as long as she could until the tears blurred her vision to the point where she had to come to a stop. Lily slid to the floor, knees clutched to her chest as she softly wept. Her breathing became irregular as the crying was much more intense. Furthermore, she could not understand why one mans verbal comment had now stopped another ones physical harm, which nearly left her dead where she slept.

The tears dampened the fabric of her nightgown that shielded her knees, the coolness pressing against her cheek as she laid her head.

An arm gently slid between her neck and the stone wall, coming to rest along her shoulders and left arm. It was a touch too cold to be her boyfriends, but with enough compassion to be that of the one who, only minutes ago, wanted her dead.

" You're double the person he could ever dream to be" James spoke so softly, which somehow only kept her on the edge, " and he does not deserve a single tear from you."

Despite her emotions being obvious, Lily turned her head to the side, away from him. She gazed at his hand, which was now decorated with fresh scrapes near his knuckles.

" What is that?"

James retracted his hand, " oh, well, funniest thing. After you left, the greasy bastard tripped and fell, right on my hand" he paused, " several times, too, clumsy oath."

A wave of tears washed over her yet again, and James welcomed her head on his shoulder. He cuddled her closer, stroking her arm and gently soothing her, even without words.

She finally managed to choke through her tears, " that couldn't have been you back there, in the bedroom. That wasn't you doing that."

" I know" his agreement was so simple when she had never expected him to understand her.

" Then who!" she cried, finally getting him to speak in relation to the recent dangerous events, " who is doing this?!"

James pulled his glasses from his nose, gently wiping them in the excess cloth of his robes, " it's him" he sighed, " it's Voldemort."


End file.
